Meet Donovan Sornig | Photographer/Videographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donovan Sornig and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donovan, what principle do you value most?
Integrity. Being a Marine, Integrity is one of the core values that was ingrained into me at a young age. Being honest and having a strong moral compass goes a long way when operating any business. Whether it be meeting a deadline, performing a task, or making decisions regarding business or employees, when you give your word…keep it.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work…photography and videography. Photography has been a passion and hobby of mine since I was kid. I grew up in the Detroit BMX scene rinding in skateparks, at dirt jumps, downtown so we were always trying to get those cool “stoke your friends” photos that started with disposable cameras and eventually moved into camcorders and then DSLR’s. After my time in the military I moved to Vail, CO in 2006 with not much other than a back pack of clothes, my snowboards, bikes, and camera equipment. I got into restaurant work because it allowed a lot of flexibility in scheduling for the important stuff…snowboarding, riding bikes, just overall adventuring. After a bit, I reeled in my adventuring to focus on my professional growth. Being a bartender at the time it felt natural to progress into restaurant management. I entered the world of restaurant management in 2010 and restaurants are where I cut my teeth in business operations. I was fortunate enough to work with some really amazing and inspiring people that pushed me to achieve goals and be creative on a daily basis. I’m a bit of a romantic when it comes to time, it’s something we never get back in our journey through life. In mid 2023 I decided to make the leap and start my own business. Starting my business has been fun and exciting, and challenging all at the same time. I have a focus on Brand and Lifestyle Photography and I think the diversity of my job experiences poured a strong foundation for me to build my business upon and allows me to deliver a thoughtful and creative experience for my clients.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would have my friend visit us in the summer; I think summers in Colorado are truly magical. We live in Vail, CO so over the course of a week I’d have to say that our days would start off with a cup of coffee at sunrise, either at the house or right out of our neighborhood. Then we’d fill the mornings with a beautiful hike in Vail or the surrounding area, or a nice tranquil morning paddle board. Who knows, we might hike in the morning and paddle in the afternoon to cool off. Some of the notable hikes in the area are Booth Falls, Gore Creek, Piney Lake to Upper Piney. We like to Paddle Board with visitors out on Lake Dillon, Nottingham Lake, Turquoise Lake, or Twin lakes. My wife and I enjoy picnicking while adventuring so it would be safe to say there would be a couple high alpine picnics involved in this visit. We love to cook! So, typically for dinner we’d grill out in the backyard, procuring meat from local farmers, and veggies from our garden while watching the sun set and the pups run around in the yard. Of course, there will be meals we don’t cook and for those we have a couple circuits we frequent. One day to Hovey and Harrison for breakfast and coffee, Chef Bob & Chef Molly are amazing, we’d go see Chef Chris Schmidt at Craftsman Brew Co for lunch and beer, I can not escape the Nashville Hot Chicken and a Schmidt House Lager, then to iL Mago for dinner. iL Mago has, in my opinion, AMAZING pizza! The dough is made, and fermented in house, with high quality ingredients and Chef Todd’s house pulled Motz…pretty remarkable stuff. We’d probably sit at the bar because of Logan, their Bar Manager, talk about a genuine and world class fella. Day two of dining out, we go to Village Bagel for breakfast and coffee because Connie and Tony make the most legit bagels this side of New York, then for lunch we’d go sit at the bar at Mountain Standard, with Bru, their Bar Manager, also a very genuine and world class dude, for a Rotisserie Turkey Club (side note… they have a 100% wood fired grill and rotisserie that provides irreplaceable flavor) and a Standard Marg. For dinner we’d go to Sweet Basil, Chef Will and the team are extremely talented and the food is amazing! They just got a mention in the Michelin guide to hats of the all the hard work Matt, Paul, and the entire team put in. Super proud of them, also a little partial to both of those restaurants as I worked in that building for almost a decade.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Matt Morgan, Paul Anders & the entire team I worked with at Mountain Standard for the better part of a decade. Matt & Paul are the owners of Sweet Basil and Mountain Standard in Vail, CO. I was on the management team at Mountain Standard the entire time I work for the organization. I am grateful for the lessons and opportunities I had within that building. A huge shoutout to them, and nothing but love and thanks for all of the support and guidance!

Mike Padrick! Mike and I were on the Management Team at Mountain Standard roughly since the 2014 era. Mike is a great friend and mentor. Mike changed my perspective on management of the team, the business, and myself. I am forever grateful for his friendship, guidance, support, honesty, and encouragement.

Website: www.donovansornig.com

Instagram: @donovansornig

Linkedin: Donovan Sornig

Image Credits
All of the images are photos I took